


Hidden Secrets of Hamunaptra

by Farbautidottir



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, The Mummy (1999)
Genre: Adventure, Ancient Egypt, Family, Gen, One Big Happy Weasley Family (Harry Potter), Sibling Bonding, Vacation, Weasley Family-centric (Harry Potter)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-10
Updated: 2020-06-10
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:26:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,608
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24647158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Farbautidottir/pseuds/Farbautidottir
Summary: While visiting Bill in Egypt over the 1993 summer holidays, the Weasleys end up having quite the adventure in the City of the Dead. (Influenced by the film The Mummy)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16





	Hidden Secrets of Hamunaptra

"Now this is where the story of Imhotep really begins," Bill said, an air of mystery to his voice.

Arthur smiled at his children's awed reactions, but his eyes widened a bit as he saw what Bill motioned to—an opened sarcophagus. _Thank goodness Molly stayed back with Percy at the hotel_ , he thought. His wife and third son were to relax and do a bit of shopping in the Egyptian town's market while Bill took him and the other five kids on a guided tour of the ruins of Hamunaptra, better known as City of the Dead.

Percy seemed unimpressed by Bill's Curse Breaker tours so far, and even more so keen to get a suitable gift for his girlfriend, Penelope. Arthur was glad for it, both Percy having a girlfriend for so long and Arthur having enough money to help him buy her something. Being together with his whole family though, especially with Bill and Charlie so informed in their own fields, that was the priceless bit. Of course, 613 Galleons was the actual cost, but who was counting anyway? Not him since it left a sufficient amount of the 700 Galleons he'd won in the drawing at work.

"The story begins at some empty coffin thing?" Fred scoffed.

"A sarcophagus, and be glad it's empty," Bill continued.

"What's a s-sar-cough-a-cus?" Ginny asked her eldest brother.

"It's a stone coffin—" Bill began.

"See!" Fred protested.

"Let the man speak, Freddy," George said.

"You did _not_ just call me Freddy!"

"Boys! Your brother is giving us a tour. Let's show him some appreciation."

Arthur's expression was far sterner than his words and the twins quickly shut up.

"A sarcophagus is a stone coffin, but as you can see it's much more elaborate than what we know as a coffin. The Ancient Egyptians mummified their dead before putting them into a sarcophagus," Bill explained.

"So, what's the story then?" Ron asked.

"Well, Imhotep was a high priest back in 1290 BC, but he had an affair with the pharaoh's mistress. They were caught in a plot to kill the pharaoh and run away together, but the mistress killed herself while Imhotep was sentenced to the worst curse possible: Hom Dai."

"Hom Dai?" Charlie gasped. "I've heard of that, it's horrible."

"What is it?!" Ginny asked, her brown eyes wide.

"To suffer the Hom Dai curse means to have your tongue cut out and be buried alive with flesh-eating scarab beetles," Bill explained.

"Buried alive?!" Fred and George exclaimed.

"Flesh-eating beetles?" Ron choked out.

"Yes, exactly. It's rather gruesome. Anyway, this is the sarcophagus he was buried in. Since he was a high priest, he was prone to magic—a wizard—and so his sarcophagus was guarded day and night by the Medjai guards. Worse than death though, his soul was trapped in torment for all eternity under watch of the god Anubis, right here in Hamunaptra."

"This is the actual sarcophagus from 1290?" Arthur asked.

"Yes."

"It's so well preserved!"

"Well, it's cursed. That's what's protecting it. If you'll follow me…" Bill said, starting to walk deeper into the ruins.

"No one touch the sarcophagus," Arthur said as they passed by it to follow Bill. It was an unnecessary comment, as no one dared even to walk close to it, Arthur included.

They ventured deep into the ruins, torches lighting the stone hallways, revealing hieroglyphs throughout. An entire history told on the walls. Arthur was fascinated, but Bill didn't stop moving and he didn't want to get left behind.

"Now, it's important not to read anything you see written. Don't try to translate it, don't say anything aloud. Back in the 1920s, a Muggle expedition came here to try and discover the Book of the Dead. They did, in fact, find the book, however they ended up reading from it and awakening Imhotep from his curse."

"Wait, so he's not buried here anymore?" George asked.

"No, he was destroyed by the same expedition party after unleashing the ten plagues on Egypt as part of his effort to seek revenge and resurrect his dead mistress."

"That's romantic," Fred quipped, earning a laugh from George, Charlie, and Ron.

"What we're studying here is the hidden secrets of Hamunaptra. The things this Muggle expedition could not see," Bill explained as he paused in front of a sealed stone door. "Now, you must all promise me that you will be quiet when we enter this room and only speak in whispers. The Hom Dai curse lingers within its walls and we are at the mercy of the Medjai if we accidentally wake them. I for one do not want a scarab beetle eating my flesh today. So, can you promise you'll be quiet?"

"What's in the room?" Arthur asked.

"We've translated its name as the Pit of Doom. It's basically a giant hole with no measurable bottom. The legend—and what prior Wizard expeditions have painstakingly discovered—is that the Medjais' souls were trapped in it by Imhotep in his revenge."

Ginny's hand found Arthur's in the dimly lit space and he pulled her closer to him.

"So, you'll all be quiet while we're inside?"

A chorus of Weasley affirmations followed.

Bill cast a spell in Ancient Egyptian to open the door. They all filed in.

The space was lit by two fire grates that seemed to be constantly burning. It was a precisely square room with a massive black pit in its center, as Bill had described. There was a makeshift half-wall around the pit to prevent people from accidentally falling in, with a gap on one side for access. Beyond the wall was a heap of gleaming treasure. Gold items of all kinds and jewels piled high.

"What's the treasure about?" Charlie asked in a whisper.

"It was here when we got here," Bill said, also whispering.

Charlie picked up a golden goblet and held it close to the fire grate to inspect it.

"Lemme see that," Fred whispered, swiping it from his older brother.

"Careful!" Charlie whispered, trying to grab it back from him.

Fred tossed the goblet to George, who caught it easily and turned it over in his hand a few times.

"Think we can pocket some of this?" he asked, also in a whisper.

"Absolutely not," Arthur whispered sternly.

The twins rolled their eyes, but then noticed Ron staring, mouth agape, at the treasure pile.

"Ron, think fast!" George whispered, throwing the goblet at Ron.

Ron turned too slowly, missing the catch and causing the goblet to bounce off his torso and onto the half-wall in a loud clank before it rolled and fell into the pit, clattering against its stone wall on the way down.

Silence fell over the room. Then, to all their horror, a soft, scurrying noise came from below. Suddenly scores of beetles emerged from the depths, climbing the walls of the pit up to the room.

"No, no, no!" Ron cried, horrified. He ran towards the entrance.

"Shhh!" Bill hushed him.

"Are we going to die?" Ginny asked in scarcely a whisper.

Bill, who was closest to her, looked down at her face and immediately picked her up into a hug. "No, you'll be safe with me."

"We need to leave now, right?" Charlie whispered to Bill, who nodded.

Arthur met the terrified eyes of Bill and Charlie. Their fear was too apparent for this to be a prank, and he quickly whispered loudly, "To the hotel!" to them both.

They nodded and each grabbed another Weasley or two. Arthur took Ron into a heavy embrace as Ron was hopping in a circle like he was standing on hot coals trying to avoid the scarabs that had not yet reached them.

They all Disapparated on the spot, landing outside their hotel in a heap.

"Everyone here? Everyone all right?" Arthur called out.

Ron vomited. This led Ginny and Fred to vomit as well.

"I have to get back and contain it," Bill told his dad.

"I'll help," Charlie offered.

Arthur nodded and ushered the others inside, where Molly was lying by the pool reading the latest _Witch Weekly_. After she fussed over them all, she looked around a second and asked Arthur quietly, "Where's Percy?"

"Isn't he with you?"

"No, he went to catch you all up. He left only a few minutes after you all did. Said he wanted to show off having passed his Apparation test."

Arthur groaned. "Stay here."

Molly nodded and looked at their youngest four kids. "Who wants a snack?"

With a _pop_ Arthur arrived back at Hamunaptra, which seemed eerily deserted. He held back a moment, looking around for Percy—or even Bill and Charlie. _Has something happened to them?_

Then he heard their voices broadcasting clearly from the acoustically sound entrance tunnel to the ruins.

"Yeah, summoning charm. Got all the dung beetles back in the jar," Percy was saying.

"I can't believe even dad fell for it. You were amazing, Perce," Charlie said.

"Thanks. Penny is going to be so impressed when I tell her about it! She's always saying that I could never prank anyone. That I'm too straitlaced."

"Well, you will awe her then! You've impressed us! Officially an adult Weasley now!"

"Officially!" Charlie echoed.

Arthur, swelling with pride, hurriedly Disapparated before they could emerge from the ruins' entrance and see him.

"Everything okay?" Molly asked upon seeing him return to the hotel alone.

"Everything is perfect." Arthur smiled, leaning down to kiss her. "Percy was with you the whole time, as it turns out."

"Was he?"

Arthur's eyes twinkled and Molly smiled fondly.

"That's right, he was," she said knowingly.


End file.
